Visualization of Vocal Tract Shape Using Interleaved Real-time MRI of Multiple Scan Planes

Conventional real-time magnetic resonance imaging (RT-MRI) of the upper airway typically acquires information about the vocal tract from a single midsagittal scan plane. This provides insights into the dynamics of all articulators, but does not allow for visualization of several important features in vocal tract shaping, such as grooving/doming of the tongue, asymmetries in tongue shape, and lateral shaping of the pharyngeal airway. In this paper, we present an approach to RT-MRI of multiple scan planes of interest using time-interleaved acquisition, in which temporal resolution is compromised for greater spatial coverage. We demonstrate simultaneous visualization of vocal tract dynamics from midsagittal, coronal, and axial scan planes in the articulation of English fricatives.